For artists interested in pursuing their art in the great outdoors, known in the industry as plein-air artists, transporting art gear to a desirable outdoor location has historically been a difficult task. In particular, for those desiring to employ artistic mediums requiring the use of an easel, carrying the easel and other required tools and supplies has usually been cumbersome and often impossible, requiring multiple trips to transport all of the gear, reduction of the materials taken along, or abandonment of the artistic session altogether.
For many years, a collapsible wooden easel that breaks down into a box with a handle has been the mainstay of the plein-air artist as the only available portable easel with a storage/work surface. However, this box easel is cumbersome to carry, and is difficult and time consuming to set up and take down.
Lightweight, portable, telescoping tripod easels have also been available for a number of years. However, these too have their drawbacks in that they do not provide a storage/work surface for the artist's materials and tools, making them of limited use to many artists. When working in the outdoors, level and clean surfaces for convenient placement of materials, tools and supplies are usually in short supply, indicating a need for an easel with a storage/work surface.